Science and Heritage Career Ladder (SHCL)

The vision: The SHCL is a sustainable and structured employment based training programme for young people from Birmingham (aged 16-21) provided by Thinktank to develop new skills in science and heritage communication.

Project Summary: The SHCL is a youth development programme that provides structured training and employment opportunities for local young people, equipping them with new skills and helping to diversify the sector. For Birmingham, tackling worklessness is a key part of the wider regeneration of the economy of the city and surrounding areas. Unless sufficient people with the relevant skills are available to take up job opportunities the growth of the local economy will be limited affecting the prosperity of the whole of Birmingham, not just those out of work. Helping people to acquire and retain the skills to get and retain jobs is vital for the long term future of Birmingham. Targeting worklessness is a priority in Thinktank’s immediate locality, as well as other key disadvantaged wards in the city. By providing skills development and work opportunities Thinktank will be tackling worklessness in the long term. In turn, Thinktank’s future development is in part reliant on its ability to reach out to and engage new audiences. It can only do this if its services and products are relevant to these people. By recruiting young people from local communities to be engaged in the training scheme Thinktank will become more representative of local communities, establish better links with them and ultimately foster a greater sense of ownership by local people.